Panthers, Lady Panthers open tennis season

Strong showing against Green River, Rock Springs

Posted Thursday, August 22, 2019 8:20 am

By Don Cogger

The Powell High School tennis teams opened the 2019 season this week, with home matches against non-conference foes Green River on Monday and Rock Springs on Tuesday.

The Panther boys rolled in their first action of the season, beating Green River 4-1 and sweeping Rock Springs 5-0.

On the girls’ side, the Lady Panthers fell 4-1 in the season opener against Green River Monday, but rebounded nicely Tuesday against Rock Springs, winning 4-1.

PHS head coach Joe Asay, now in his fourth season at the helm of both programs, said it’s always fun to kick off the new season against the teams from down south. Enough Green River players made the trip that Asay was able to get some of his younger players some varsity experience, playing alternate varsity matches along with the requisite JV matches.

“We ended up with a pretty tough start, really, on both sides with [playing against] the Green River kids,” he said. “The girls had a tough go with just the one win in the three doubles spot. But we had a really good day against Rock Springs.”

Panthers 4, Green River 1

Panther senior Jesse Brown made short work of Green River’s Caeden Grubb in the No. 1 singles spot, winning in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1. Fellow senior Dylan Preator, the defending state champion in No. 2 singles, also got off to a fast start, defeating Connor Friel in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1.

“I was excited to see Jesse Brown geting out there and competing, see how things are coming together for his final season as a Panther tennis player,” Asay said. “He’s a strong player, so he’s just not going to be pushed in most cases. He’s going to dictate that play every time.”

The Panthers have a new combination at No.1 doubles this season, with senior Aiden Jacobsen and sophomore Ethan Bartholomew making their season debut against Green River’s Jon Leininger and Elliott Potter. The pair dropped the first set 4-6, but battled back to win the next two, 6-1, 6-3.

“Aiden [Jacobsen]’s gritty, and he was put in there with a sophomore [Bartholomew], who’s pretty new to the game,” Asay said. “Ethan has really come along tremendously, he was out hitting all summer. I’ve seen just a tremendous amount of improvement from spring into summer. Those guys battled and got it done in three sets.”

Another new matchup for the Panthers this season is the pairing of seniors Grant Dillivan and Jay Cox at the No. 2 doubles spot. The two got off to a quick start against Camden Nelson and Domenick Kunkle, winning the first set 7-5, before dropping the next two 6-1, 6-1 to take the loss.

After running into some difficulties in the last two sets, “they’ll work through those things,” Asay said, “but they still played good tennis.”

At the No. 3 doubles spot, the sophomore pairing of Logan Brown and Aiden Chandler downed Green River’s Braxton Cordova and Zach Friel 6-4, 6-2.

Green River 4, Lady Panthers 1

The graduation of Elise North and Sierra Sanders off of last year’s squad left the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots up for grabs this season, and Asay said the competition has been fierce for the two top positions.

“... we have a lot of returners,” he said. “Those girls have stepped in well in a new role.”

In her first appearance at No. 1 singles, PHS senior Sloane Asay struggled against Green River’s Gabrielle Heiser, losing in straight sets 6-0, 6-1. Junior Ashley Dunkerley also fell in straight sets at the No. 2 singles spot, 6-0, 6-3.

“Sloane didn’t get a win, but had some good match experience,” coach Asay said. “Ashley also came up a little short, but it will be fun to see what she does this season. She’s a fighter, a scrappy little player. We’ll see how it all sorts out in those top two spots.”

In No. 1 doubles, the pairing of senior Hailee Paul and junior Sophe Morrow came up short in a hard-fought 7-6, 6-3 loss to Green River’s Morgan Atkins and Roryann Ratliff.

“Those two girls [Paul and Morrow] really matched up well, they played some good tennis,” Asay said. “Good return shots off the serve, handling the net well. A lot of good things in that match.”

The first-time pairing of juniors Sami Cole and Sydnee Thompson at No. 2 doubles also lost in straight sets 6-1, 6-2, though Asay said he took a lot of positives from the match.

“Sydnee is a first-time varsity player, and she’s certainly stepping into the role well,” he said. “Sami Cole surprised me last year with her great play at varsity for the first time, so it’s fun to see those two girls just going after it.”

The Lady Panthers’ lone win came in the No. 3 doubles spot, with junior Whitney Hull and sophomore Kaili Wisniewski winning a three-set thriller over Shelbee McFadden and Kaylee Hymas 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 6-3.

“It was a good battle,” coach Asay said. “It was the last match of the day, so everyone was there cheering them on. It was a good win for those girls.”

Lady Panthers 4, Rock Springs 1

After Monday’s tough loss to Green River, the Lady Panthers bounced back against Rock Springs, downing the Lady Tigers 4-1.

“It was fun to see our kids really get out there and battle,” coach Asay said.

Sloane Asay was the lone loss for the Lady Panthers at No. 1 singles. falling to Rachel Shuler in straight sets 6-4, 6-2.

“Sloane played well, just came up short,” coach Asay said. “We’re going to keep working on some things for her and see if we can’t get her on the winning end of things.”

The Lady Panthers swept the next four matches, led by a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 2 singles from Dunkerley.

In No. 1 doubles, Paul and Morrow downed Rock Springs’ Makailey Johnson and Makalie Mignery. Cole and Thompson picked up their first win of the season in straight sets over Kameron Wilson and Allyson Turner.

Hull and Wisniewski moved to 2-0 on the season at No. 3 doubles, beating Bailee Pitt and Brissa Proa 6-3, 6-0.

“It was a good, strong win for the girls, and the best thing for me is to be able to see them go out and dictate play,” Asay said. “Those were a bunch of good wins.”

Panthers 5, Rock Springs 0

It was a clean sweep for the Panthers against Rock Springs, with the Tigers winning just eight games for the entire match.

Brown and Preator picked up where they left off Monday in the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots, earning straight-set 6-0, 6-0 wins.

“It was bagel-bagel for Jesse [Brown], bagel-bagel for Dylan [Preator],” Asay said. “They both played really, really well.”

Jacobsen and Bartholomew were also perfect at No. 1 doubles, dropping Bradyn Conover and Kaeden Hanson 6-0, 6-0.

At No. 2 doubles, Dillivan and Cox appeared poised to continue the trend, winning the first set 6-0. But the pair soon found themselves in a battle, losing 6-3 in the second set before rebounding to win the third 6-2.

“They [Dillivan and Cox] had to work for theirs a little bit,” Asay said. “But they came back very strong in that third set and executed well.”

Brown and Chandler rounded out the sweep for the Panthers at No. 3 singles, beating Zack Smith and Angel Maldanado 6-0, 6-0.

The PHS tennis teams are on the road for a full slate of games Friday, taking on Thunder Basin and Campbell County in Gillette.

“It will be a long day, for sure,” Asay said. “We’re right back at it, going full speed.”

Tennis teams to rely on experience

Panthers return all but one; Lady Panthers ready to step up

Posted Thursday, August 15, 2019 8:15 am

By Don Cogger

The Powell High School tennis teams began practice Monday, and the season is shaping up to be an exciting one, with plenty of experience returning on both the boys’ and girls’ teams.

“We just have a ton of kids coming back, a lot of familiar faces, especially on the boys side. Pretty much the entire varsity squad is back for more,” said PHS head coach Joe Asay. “And even on the girls’ side, though the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots were filled by seniors last year, the girls coming back are really competitive and will fill those spots well.”

With 40 kids reporting for the first day of practice Monday, Asay said the teams have already started playing matches to determine who will represent the varsity in Monday’s season (and home) opener against Green River. Though it might be tempting to pencil players in at certain spots, Asay said all positions are up for grabs.

“The kids are the ones that determine their spots by getting out and playing matches against each other,” Asay said. “So we’re off and running.”

Lady Panthers

The Lady Panthers have vacancies at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions, with Elise North and Sierra Sanders lost to graduation; the No. 1 doubles team also lost a senior in Shayla Shoopman. Coach Asay said he expects strong competition for those open spots between senior Sloane Asay and junior Sophe Morrow. Sloane Asay finished last season as part of the No. 1 doubles team, while Morrow played No. 2 doubles, along with Ashley Dunkerley. Dunkerley, a junior, also returns with varsity experience and is “playing really good tennis,” according to coach Asay.

“Sloane has a lot of varsity experience and she enjoys playing the game,” he said. “She plays tournaments in the summer, so that’s a good thing. Sophe Morrow has been out hitting quite a bit, taking advantage of the UW tennis camp at the beginning of the summer. She has a lot of varsity experience as well.”

Other Lady Panthers who will vie for varsity time are senior left-hander Hailee Paul and junior Sami Cole, who finished last season as the No. 3 doubles team.

“Hailee has had some good varsity experience, so I’m excited to see what she’ll do this season,” coach Asay said. “Sami Cole was varsity last year as a sophomore, and it was her first time playing tennis. It will be fun to see how that will continue to go for her.”

Also in the mix will be sophomore Kaili Wisniewski, who shined on the JV squad last season. Coach Asay said Wisniewski “is a great athlete,” who he hopes will compete for a varsity spot this year.

Panthers

The Panthers may be the team to beat in the west in terms of experience, with No. 2 doubles player Aidan Hunt the only casualty of graduation.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to have a good, strong men’s varsity team,” coach Asay said. “You want that depth, and we had some freshman kids that were playing in the No. 3 doubles spot last year [Logan Brown and Aiden Chandler], so it’s pretty neat for them to come in as sophomores with varsity experience. That’s good stuff to see.”

Leading the charge will be seniors Jesse Brown and Dylan Preator; Preator is the defending state champion at No. 2 singles, while Brown was fifth at last year’s state tournament in No. 1 singles. Last year’s No. 1 doubles team of Aidan Jacobsen and Grant Dillivan will also compete for the top spots on the varsity.

“Jesse [Brown] has really been a strong dominant player through his entire high school career. He brings a lot to the table,” coach Asay said. “Dylan [Preator] just had a great season last year, so that’s the kicker for these guys as far as expectations — these guys have to actually get out and compete for that top spot. It’s Jesse’s to lose, but he does have to defend that position against his teammates.”

Another player to keep an eye on is senior Jay Cox, who finished last season as part of the No. 2 doubles team. It was Cox’s first year in competitive tennis, and coach Asay is excited to see what Cox is capable of this year.

“... As evidenced by the spring track season, that kid’s a bit of an athlete,” the coach said. “This [tennis] seems to be one of the things he’s enjoying; he’s been taking some time this summer to work on his game, get some one-on-one help. He played in a couple of tournaments, so it’s kind of fun to see what that looks like.”

The sophomore tandem of Brown and Chandler, a welcome surprise at No. 3 doubles last season, will have to hold off fellow sophomores who were “nipping at their heels last season,” according to the coach.

“There will be some good chances for all of those sophomores to compete well,” he said. “Ethan Bartholomew has been working hard all summer, playing in some tournaments and competing. It will be fun to see what that looks like, for sure.”

PHS tracksters bring home the hardware

Lady Panthers second, Panthers third at state

Posted Tuesday, May 21, 2019 8:05 am

By Don Cogger

Hands on his knees, trying to get enough wind to speak, Jay Cox could hardly believe what he had just accomplished.

It was Friday morning at the 3A Track and Field Championships in Casper, immediately following the 800 meter finals. Cox, a middle distance runner for the Powell High School Panthers, had just won the event in a blistering time of 1:59.68 — a full three seconds faster than his closest competitor.

“I feel amazing,” Cox said when he finally caught his breath. “Every lap I’ve ever ran, every 400 interval, this is what I do it for. It’s finally paid off.”

And that was just the start. In a state meet that saw the Powell High School track and field teams combine for six state championships, Cox played a role in four of them. Along with the 800, the junior won the 400 meter dash (in 49.58 seconds) and ran a leg in the gold medal-winning 4x400 relay (3:31.49) team with Dylan Preator, Aidan Jacobsen and Brody Karhu, and  a leg in the 4x800 relay, with teammates Alan Merritt, Jayden Yates and Jacobsen. Cox’s times in the 400 and 800 meters earned him Best of the Best distinction, given to those athletes whose times top all classes.

PHS head coach Scott Smith was particularly impressed with Cox’s 400 meters, where he overcame a roughly 20-yard deficit in the last 100 meters to beat Buffalo’s Cody Milmine.

“Jay [Cox] just kicked it in and passed him up there at the end,” Smith said, calling it a “fantastic” meet for Cox.

“All the kids did really, really well to be honest,” the PHS coach said. “This weekend was a lot of fun.”

As a team, the Powell girls took second place in Class 3A, behind Douglas, while the boys took third, behind Mountain View and Buffalo.

Junior Dylan Preator not only won the triple jump, but broke the school record with his leap of 44 feet, 5.75 inches. Mountain View’s Mason Ozuna had taken the lead with his second attempt, but Preator wound up besting Ozuna by 5 inches with his final jump.

“That was something special,” Smith said of Preator’s feat. “The kid from Mountain View [Ozuna] was the huge favorite to win, and took the lead on his next-to-last jump. The final jump of the competition and Dylan [Preator] pops off a big jump to win it and break the school record.”

Meanwhile, the Lady Panther team of Jayden Asher, Jaz Haney, Emma Karhu and Caitlyn Miner came out of nowhere to win the 4x100 relay with a time of 52.31 — less than a 10th of a second ahead of the team from Lovell. It was a fitting end to the careers of seniors Miner and Haney.

Going into the event, Miner said the team was just hoping to make the podium.

“It felt really good, especially since we thought we might take sixth,” she said. “But we got first place, and that was awesome.”

Haney agreed.

“It was super-exciting for me, because I’ve never ran a relay before at state,” she said. “It just feels incredible.”

Smith and his assistants put the girls’ 4x100 relay team together the week before regionals.

“I was sure we’d get some points,” he said, “but they ran fantastic.”

Sabrina Shoopman won gold in the 300 hurdles, running “lights out,” according to Smith. She posted a time of 47:06; her teammate Emma Karhu took third in the event. Shoopman was another athlete who had some stiff competition, most notably McKinley Bradshaw from Lyman. An all-around athlete, Bradshaw won state in the high jump and discus, and had her heart set on adding the 300 hurdles to her state resume.

“She [Shoopman] ran with no mistakes, just smooth all the way through,” Smith said. Bradshaw “really got after it, she really came out fast,” Smith said. “Sabrina [Shoopman] had to get after her and got her at the end.”

Lady Panthers

The Lady Panthers had solid performances throughout the weekend, with medalists in just about every event they qualified in.

“We had a lot of kids who placed higher at state than they did in regionals, and that’s something you always like to see,” Smith said. “That’s the sign of a good meet.”

Freshman sprinter Jenna Hillman capped off her first-ever state meet by earning All-State honors in the 400 meters, finishing second with a time of 1:00.71. She also placed third in the 200 meters and fourth in the 100 meters.

“Jenna Hillman had a fantastic meet for anybody, let alone a freshman,” Smith said. “She was the eighth seed in the 100 and took fourth, and making All-State in the 400, that’s pretty good duty.”

Senior Gabri Lundberg, coming off an outstanding performance at the regional meet in the high jump, won bronze in the event in Casper with a height of 4 feet, 10 inches.

“All year, Gabri [Lundberg] was kinda stuck at 4’6” and then hit 4’10” at regionals,” Smith said. “She makes 4’10” on her first attempt at state, and took third against two athletes that are a couple of the best athletes in the state. For Gabri to take third in that group was really impressive.”

Emma Karhu notched a pair of bronze medals to go along with the gold she won in the 4x100 relay. The sophomore was third in the pole vault with a personal best height of 10 feet, and she took third in the 300 hurdles. Teammate Maddie Hackenberg also PR’d in the pole vault with a height of 9 feet to finish 11th.

In the field events, Cassidy Miner and Rachel Bonander made the podium in the shot put and discus. Miner was fifth in the shot and sixth in the discus, while Bonander ended her high school career with a fourth in the discus and eighth in shot.

“Rachel [Bonander] at the end of the year really came on; she was very consistent,” Smith said. “For them [Bonander and Miner] to place in both events, they threw really, really well.”

The Lady Panthers’ 4x400 relay team of Abigail Urbach, Miner, Shoopman and Hillman placed fourth with a time of 4:23.45.

Panthers

On the boys’ side, Brody Karhu, a gold medalist in the 4x400 relay, earned All-State honors in the pole vault, taking silver with a height of 13 feet, 6 inches. The junior also placed fourth in the 400 meters and sixth in the 200 meters.

Senior distance runner Alan Merritt capped off his senior season with a third-place finish in the 3200 meters; he also made the podium in the 1600 meters, finishing eighth. Fellow senior Jayden Yates was seventh in the 3200 meters and eighth in the 800 meters. Both runners won gold in the 4x800 relay.

“Boy, it was nice to see those guys [Merritt and Yates] go out as seniors with a state championship,” Smith said. “We really wanted to see those guys go out like that. Both have worked so hard. That was really special for all of the coaching staff.”

Senior Kaelan Groves medaled in two events, including a sixth-place finish in the 100 meters and a seventh-place finish in the 200 meters. He also ran a leg of the 4x100 relay with teammates Kadden Abraham, Riley Bennett and Landon Lengfelder, helping the group to a fifth-place finish. Groves may have been in position to medal in the pole vault, but because of a late start, the event had to be stopped temporarily so athletes could participate in the relays.

“I felt bad for Kaelan [Groves]. He was vaulting real well, then had to go run the relay,” Smith said. “When he came back to finish the vault, he just couldn’t put it back together. But he placed sixth in a 100 that was loaded with some really talented kids, and his seventh in the 200 was a big step up for him.”

In the field events, Dalton Woodward placed seventh in the triple jump, while throwers Ryan Good and Zeke Frankenberry finished third and eighth in the discus, respectively.

“It was just a fun meet all around,” Smith said. “The kids did great, and all the hard work paid off.”

The PHS track and field teams will conclude their seasons tonight (Tuesday) with their awards night, scheduled for 6 p.m. at the PHS Commons.

2019 3A State Track and Field Championships Results

Girls Results

Girls Team Scores

1. Douglas 94.5, 2. Powell 85, 3. Pinedale 73, 4. Lyman 64, 5. Lander 58, 6. Rawlins 46, 7. Buffalo 39, 7. Mountain View 39, 9. Worland 35, 10. Big Piney 33, 11. Lovell 32, 12. Burns 31, 13. Torrington 27, 14. Wheatland 23.5, 15. Thermopolis 21

100 Meter Dash

4. Jenna Hillman 13.41

200 Meter Dash

3. Jenna Hillman 27.33

400 Meter Dash

2. Jenna Hillman 1:00.71, 4. Sabrina Shoopman 1:02.32

100 Meter Hurdles

4. Sabrina Shoopman 16.81

300 Meter Hurdles

1. Sabrina Shoopman 47.06, 3. Emma Karhu 47.34

4x100 Relay

1. Jayden Asher, Jaz Haney, Emma Karhu, Caitlyn Miner 52.31

4x400 Relay

4. Abigail Urbach, Caitlyn Miner, Sabrina Shoopman, Jenna Hillman 4:23.45

4x800 Relay

9.  Sidney O’Brien, Jenna Merritt, Hailee Paul, Hailee Hyde 11:39.16                

High Jump

3. Gabri Lundberg 4’10”, 13. Hailee Hyde 4’6”

Pole Vault

3. Emma Karhu 10’, 11. Maddie Hackenberg 9’

Long Jump

14. Maddie Hackenberg 14’

Shot Put

5. Cassidy Miner 34’2”, 8. Rachel Bonander 31’11.5”

Discus Throw

4. Rachel Bonander 117’7”, 6. Cassidy Miner 105’7”

Boys Results

Boys Team Scores

1. Mountain View 129, 2. Buffalo 102,
3. Powell 98, 4. Lander Valley 79, 5. Lovell 76, 6. Douglas  43.50, 7. Torrington 41. 8. Rawlins 33,  9. Burns 31, 10. Wheatland 17.50, 11. Pinedale 14, 12. Lyman 12, 13. Thermopolis 9, 14. Worland 8, 15. Newcastle 5, 16. Big Piney 4  

100 Meter Dash

6. Kaelan Groves 11.95

200 Meter Dash

5. Brody Karhu 23.45, 7. Kaelan Groves 24.09

400 Meter Dash

1. Jay Cox 49.58, 5. Brody Karhu 51.59, 9. Aidan Jacobsen 53.89, 13. Cole Frank 54.78

800 Meter Run

1. Jay Cox 1:59.68, 8 Jayden Yates 2:07.45

1600 Meter Run

8. Alan Merritt 4:48.28, 10. Jayden Yates 4:51.83

3200 Meter Run

3. Alan Merritt 10:26.95, 7. Jayden Yates 10:33.72, 16. Joey Hernandez 11:09.41

110 Meter Hurdles

8. Dylan Preator 16.78, 11. Kadden Abraham 17.82

300 Meter Hurdles

6. Dylan Preator 43.27, 9. Kadden Abraham 42.72

4x100 Meter Relay

5. Kadden Abraham, Riley Bennett,  Landon Lengfelder, Kaelan Groves 45.84

4x400 Relay

1. Dylan Preator, Jay Cox, Aidan Jacobsen, Brody Karhu 3:31.49    

4x800 Relay

1. Jayden Yates, Jay Cox, Aidan Jacobsen, Alan Merritt 8:25.83

Pole Vault

2. Brody Karhu 13’6”, 12. Reed Smith, 11’6”, 12. Kaelan Groves 11’6”

Triple Jump

1. Dylan Preator 44’5.75”, 7. Dalton Woodward 40’10.5”

Shot Put

12. Zeke Frankenberry 41’7.5”, 15. Ryan Good 38’3”

Discus Throw

3. Ryan Good 152’3”, 8. Zeke Frankenberry 127’5”

PHS girls take second, boys third at state track

Posted Saturday, May 18, 2019 9:58 pm

By CJ Baker

As a team and as individuals, Powell's track and field athletes collected a number of medals at this weekend's Class 3A state track meet.

The Lady Panthers took the silver as a team and the Panthers earned bronze while five Powell High School athletes and relay teams won six state titles in their respective events.

The Powell High School girls finished as runners-up among 15 Class 3A teams, amassing 85 points to trail only Douglas' 94.5 points. The boys, meanwhile, took third place among 16 teams. The Panthers put up 98 points, trailing the champions from Mountain View (126 points) and coming up just short of Buffalo (102).

Three PHS relay teams topped the podium this year. For the Powell girls, Jayden Asher, Jaz Haney, Emma Karhu and Caitlyn Miner won the 4x100 relay (52.31). For the boys, Dylan Preator, Jay Cox, Aidan Jacobsen and Brody Karhu combined to win the 4x400 meter relay by nearly two full seconds (3:31.49), while Jayden Yates, Cox, Jacobsen and Alan Merritt teamed up to win the 4x800 relay (8:25.83).

Cox had a standout meet, also winning the 400 meter dash (49.58 seconds) and the 800 meter run (1:59.68). Preator similarly took home a title of his own, besting the field by 5 inches in the triple jump with a distance of 44 feet, 5.75 inches.

Junior Sabrina Shoopman also emerged as a state champion, winning the 300 meter hurdles (in 47.06 seconds) while taking fourth in both the 100 meter hurdles (16.81) and the 400 meter dash (1:02.32).

Brody Karhu earned All State honors with a second-place finish in the pole vault (13 feet, 6 inches). Hillman picked up All State honors as well in finishing runner-up in the 400 meter dash (1:00.71); she also took third in the 200 meter dash (27.33) and fourth in the 100 meter dash (13.41).

Junior Emma Karhu won the bronze in both the pole vault (10 feet) and the 300 meter hurdles (48.4 seconds), while senior Gabri Lundberg took third in the high jump (4 feet, 10 inches).

Merritt won took bronze in the 3200 meter run (10:26.95), while Ryan Good took third in the discus (152 feet, 3 inches).

Rounding out top four performances, senior Rachel Bonander took fourth in the discus (117 feet, 7 inches), while Abigail Urbach, Miner, Sabrina Shoopman and Jenna Hillman took fourth in the 4x400 (4:23.45).

For a complete story, see Tuesday's edition of the Tribune.

Records fall at middle school Best of the Best

Coombs, O’Brien set new standards in shot put

Posted Thursday, May 16, 2019 8:00 am

By Don Cogger

Conditions may have been dreary, but the performances were not, as Powell Middle School’s finest track and field athletes competed at the Big Horn Best of the Best Middle School Invite in Cody May 7.

The Cubs and Lady Cubs posted a combined 24 personal bests and broke two school records, with athletes representing 12 schools in the Big Horn Basin. The Lady Cubs won 14 events between the seventh and eighth grade; the Cubs won three.

Despite weather that wasn’t conducive to record-breaking performances, the Lady Cubs now have a pair of new record-holders in the shot put. Grace Coombs’ toss of 31 feet, 3 inches broke the eighth-grade record by almost 9 inches; the prior record of 30 feet, 6.25 inches had been set in 1998 by Jaci Heny.

Katie O’Brien, Coombs’ counterpart on the seventh-grade side, broke her own school record (set earlier this season) with a toss of 28 feet, 5 inches. Coombs also won the discus (87 feet, 6 inches) and finished third in the 400 meter dash with a time of 1:10.58; O’Brien was second in seventh-grade discus with a throw of 62 feet, 3 inches.

Lady Cubs

Waycee Harvey once again led the charge for the seventh grade Lady Cubs, winning four events: The 100, 200 and 400 meter dash and the long jump.

Aubree Fisher and Kenzie Fields posted fourth-place finishes in the 800 and 1600 meters, respectively. Lauren Bennett was the top Powell finisher in both hurdle events, finishing 14th in the 100 hurdles and seventh in the 200 hurdles. Aramonie Brinkerhoff placed eighth in the triple jump.

For the eighth graders, Kami Jensen also won four events, including the 100 and 200 meter dash and the 100 and 200 meter hurdles. Anna Bartholomew took the top spot in the 400 meters, while in the field events, Sydney Spomer won the long jump and the triple jump.

Megan Jacobsen was runner up in the 800 meters, Alexis Terry was fourth in the 1600 meters and Gracie Trotter was seventh in the high jump.

Cubs

For the seventh grade Cubs, Marshall Lewis won both the high jump and the long jump; he also finished second in the 800 meter run, with a time of 2:32.71. Seston Shoopman also claimed a title, winning the shot put with a toss of 31 feet, 5 inches.

On the track, Adam Williams finished fourth in the 200 meters, while Stuart Shoopman was the top Cub finisher in the hurdles, placing third in the 200 hurdles and fifth in the 100 hurdles. Evan Staidle was 11th in the 1600 meters.

In the field events, Isaiah Woyak was third in the triple jump and Wyatt Blackmore placed fifth in the discus.

On the eighth grade side, Bryan Benner was runner up in both the shot put and discus, with throws of 39 feet, 8.5 inches and 110 feet, 9 inches, respectively. The Cubs also had a pair of second-place finishes in the hurdles, with Simon Shoopman placing second in the 100 hurdles and Hyrum Jeide second in the 200 hurdles.

Lannon Brazelton was third in the 200 meters, Jeide was fourth in the 400 meters and Daniel Meritt was the Cubs’ top finisher in the 800 and 1600 meters, finishing fourth and third, respectively.

In the field events, Jace Hyde was eighth in the high jump, Jack Beaudry was 11th in the long jump and Tristan Gillett was fifth in the triple jump.

Seventh Grade Girls

100 Meter Dash

1. Waycee Harvey 13.52

200 Meter Dash

1. Waycee Harvey 28.33, 13. Lauren Bennett 31.76 PR

400 Meter Dash

1. Waycee Harvey 1:08.62, 6. Amiya DeFoe-Love 1:13.62, 9. Aubree Fisher 1:14.77, 12. Gracie Wolff 1:16.39

800 Meter Run

4. Aubree Fisher 2:58.14, 5. K. Black 2:58.48, 7. Kenzie Fields 2:59.22 PR

1600 Meter Run

4. Kenzie Fields 6:32.60 PR

100 Meter Hurdles

14. Lauren Bennett 21.06

200 Meter Hurdles

7. Lauren Bennett 37.28, 8. Aramonie Brinkerhoff 37.79, 9. Gracie Wolff 37.98, 12. Victoria Beaudry 38.76

Shot Put

1. Katie O’Brien  28’5” **NEW SCHOOL RECORD PR, 6. Dazi Simpson 22’8” PR, 7. Victoria Beaudry 22’7”, 8. Brooke Bessler 22’0”, 9. Dakota Hernandez 21’.50”

Discus

2. Katie O’Brien 62’3”, 3. Brooke Bessler 61’2” PR, 4. Dakota Hernandez 57’8” PR, 6. Victoria Beaudry 56’2”

Long Jump

1. Waycee Harvey 14’8.25”, 11. Amiya DeFoe-Love 11’3.75”

Triple Jump

8. Aramonie Brinkerhoff 26’5”, 15. Cassidy Reimer 24’5”, 16. Amiya DeFoe-Love 22’1”

Eighth Grade Girls

100 Meter Dash

1. Kami Jensen 13.62, 3. Vanessa Richardson 14.34, 8. Blake Nissen 15.50

200 Meter Dash

1. Kami Jensen 28.42, 3. Abby Wambeke 30.02, 6. Sydney Spomer 30.42, 9. Grace Coombs 31.17. 10. Maddie Campbell 31.55

400 Meter Dash

1. Anna Bartholomew 1:05.77, 2. Megan Jacobson 1:08.22, 3. Grace Coombs 1:10.58

800 Meter Run

2. Megan Jacobson 2:39.27, 4. Anna Bartholomew 2:46.44, 6. Abby Wambeke 2:50.40, 10. Alexis Terry 2:58.80

1600 Meter Run

4. Alexis Terry 6:28.77 PR

100 Meter Hurdles

1. Kami Jensen 17.42, 3. Vanessa Richardson 18.90 PR, 4. Gretel Opps 19.40, 6. Mikayla Graham 20.07

200 Meter Hurdles

1. Kami Jensen 31.49, 5. Vanessa Richardson 34.66, 7. Mikayla Graham 36.65, 8. Gretel Opps 37.16

Shot Put

1. Grace Coombs 31’3” NEW SCHOOL RECORD PR (Old Record 30’6.25” Jaci Heny…..1998), 5. Jamalee Hernandez 23’9.50”, 7. Regan Sapp 22’2.50” PR, 8. Lilly Morrison 22’1”, 9. Grace Sapp 21’11”, 11. Allison Morrison 20’11”, 12. McKenna Alley 20’ 1.50”

Discus

1. Grace Coombs 87’6”, 3. Jamalee Hernandez 77’8.50”, 5. Grace Sapp 70’4.50”, 6. Lilly Morrison, 64’3”, 13. McKenna Alley 45’

High Jump

7. Gracie Trotter 3’11”

Long Jump

1. Sydney Spomer 14’2” PR, 4. Maddie Campbell 13’6” PR, 7. Gracie Trotter 12’8.25”

Triple Jump

1. Sydney Spomer 30’6”, 3. Alexis Terry 26’, 8. Gretel Opps 24’1”

Seventh Grade Boys

200 Meter Dash

4. Adam Williams 28.47, 8. Sam Johnston 30.11

800 Meter Run

2. Marshall Lewis 2:32.71, 10. John Hawley 2:50.41, 13. Tevon Schultz 2:54.98, 17. Seegar Wormald 2:59.16, 18. Isaiah Woyak 2:59.61

1600 Meter Run

11. Evan Staidle 6:13.52 PR, 18. Seegar Wormald 6:27.28

100 Meter Hurdles

5. Stuart Shoopman 17.82, 6. Jimmy Dees 19.46 PR

200 Meter Hurdles

3. Stuart Shoopman 31.8, 4. Jimmy Dees 33.37

Shot Put

1. Seston Shoopman 31’5”, 2. Jimmy Dees 30’4”, 9. Clayton Emmett 25’9” PR, 11. Tayden Stevens 23’3”

Discus

5.Wyatt Blackmore 75’1”, 9. Seston Shoopman 69’4”, 13. Tayden Stevens 63’1”, 15. Adam Flores 62’10”

High Jump

1, Marshall Lewis 4’11”, 2. Adam Williams 4’11” PR, 3. Isiah Woyak 4’9”, 4. John Hawley 4’7” PR, 5. Stuart Shoopman 4’7” PR, 10. Kaden Clark 4’1”

Long Jump

1. Marshall Lewis 15’9” PR, 3. John Hawley 14’8.75” PR, 10. Sam Johnston 13’5.25”, 11. Kaden Clark 12’11”

Triple Jump

3. Isiah Woyak 30’3”, 5. Tevon Schultz 28’11”, 7. Evan Staidle 28’4” PR, 11. Cole Young 27’4”, 12. Seegar Wormald 27’3” PR

Eighth Grade Boys

200 Meter Dash

3. Lannon Brazelton 26.58 PR, 7. Josh Ashcraft 26.88

400 Meter Dash

5. Hyrum Jeide 1:00.72 PR

800 Meter Run

4. Daniel Merritt 2:22.82 PR, 6. Tristan Gillett 2:33.65 PR

1600 Meter Run

3. Daniel Merritt 5:10.79, 8. Nathan Feller 5:50.61

100 Meter Hurdles

2. Simon Shoopman 16.9, 3. Hyrum Jeide 16.92, 7. Terry Durham 19.28

200 Meter Hurdles

2. Hyrum Jeide 30.9, 4. Simon Shoopman 32.16

Shot Put

2. Bryan Benner 39’8.5”, 4. Jonathan Mendoza 34’10” PR, 5. Lannon Brazelton 33’9”, 7. Josh Ashcraft 33’8”

Discus

2. Bryan Benner 110’9”, 3. Lannon Brazelton 109’3.5”, 5. Jonathon Mendoza 96’11”, 9. Josh Ashcraft 85’9”

High Jump

8. Jace Hyde 4’9”, 9. Bryan Benner 4’7”, 9. Simon Shoopman 4’7”

Long Jump

11. Jack Beaudry 14’9”

Triple Jump

5. Tristan Gillett 33’7”, 10. Sean Kennedy 31’2”, 11. Josh Ashcraft 31’1.5”

PHS track teams take talent, depth to Casper

Team, individual titles well within grasp

Posted Thursday, May 16, 2019 8:05 am

By Don Cogger

The Powell High School track and field teams are taking a ton of talent to Casper for the 3A State Track Meet, starting today (Thursday) and running through Saturday at Kelly Walsh High School.

The Lady Panthers are riding the momentum of a first-place finish at the 3A West Regional Meet in Pinedale, while the Panthers took second place behind Mountain View. PHS head coach Scott Smith said the team is peaking at the right time, and he’s looking forward to what the athletes can accomplish.

“I think we’re pretty good health-wise, and the kids are very excited,” Smith said. “The kids have a great opportunity to have a lot of fun this weekend and do some good things.”

Powell will send 38 athletes to Casper, with each capable of making the podium in their respective events. One thing Smith has enjoyed about the team is its depth, as younger athletes have continued to improve over the course of the season.

“Having that depth is huge,” Smith said. “You’ll see teams that have five or six individual state champions but not even be in the hunt for a team trophy. You look at our girls last week, only one individual championship but winning the whole thing. ... We have a lot of kids scoring, and that’s where that depth comes in — having kids do well in all grades.”

Spring in Wyoming being what it is, weather can always play a factor, though so far the outlook is decent.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen three good days of weather for the state meet,” Smith said, as he prepares for his 27th trip. “... Typical Casper, you’ll have some really nice weather, some really cruddy weather and everything in between.”

Lady Panthers

For the Lady Panthers, Sabrina Shoopman is a favorite going into the 100 and 300 meter hurdles; the junior will also compete in the 400 meter dash and the 4x400 relay.

“The 100 hurdles is really loaded this year, and she [Shoopman] made a little mistake at regionals and it probably cost her the difference between second and fourth,” Smith said. “Anything can happen there.”

He predicted a “real interesting battle” in the 300 hurdles betwen Shoopman and Isabella Romasko of Pinedale.

“They both just get after it well,” Smith said.

Freshman sprinter Jenna Hillman will aim for the podium in the 100, 200 and 400 meter dashes, and will also run a leg in the 4x400 relay with teammates Shoopman, Caitlyn Miner and Abigail Urbach.

Emma Karhu will have a busy meet, competing in the 200 meters, the 300 meter hurdles, the 4x100 relay and the pole vault. Karhu and her brother Brody both have a legitimate shot at a state title in the pole vault, a feat that doesn’t happen often.

Between Emma Karhu, Lyman’s Challis Nebeker and Torrington’s Nakalyn Garner, “it’s going to be a good competition” for the championship, Smith said.

The high jump will be another event to watch closely, as Gabri Lundberg and Hailee Hyde look to build on their top three finishes at regionals. Both girls cleared 4 feet, 10 inches, putting them in an excellent position for similar finishes at state.

Lundberg and Hyde “really came out of the woodwork last week,” Smith said. “We hope they continue improving, we’re really looking forward to them.”

Rachel Bonander and Cassidy Miner are qualified in the shot and discus, with both expected to make a run at the podium.

Panthers

On the boys’ side, Jay Cox is one of the favorites in the 400 and 800 meters, having won both at Pinedale. The middle distance specialist will also run the 4x400 relay and the 1600 meter sprint medley; his sub two-minute time (1:58.89) in the 800 meters at regionals was an outstanding achievement, according to his coach.

With Douglas’s Brady Brooks also breaking the two-minute mark in the 800, “that should be a really, really interesting race,” Smith said.

Kaelan Groves, competing in his final state meet, will run the 100 and 200 meters, as well as a leg in the 4x100 relay with teammates Kadden Abraham, Riley Bennett and Landon Lengfelder; he’ll also compete in the pole vault, an event he placed eighth in last year.

The 400 meter dash will be an exciting one, with four Panthers in the mix: Cox, Brody Karhu, Aidan Jacobsen and Cole Frank.

“That’s going to be a great race,” Smith said. With Buffalo’s Cody Milmine running the event in under 50 seconds this year, “that’s going to be a dogfight of a race,” the coach said.

Distance runners Alan Merritt and Jayden Yates will close out their high school careers in Casper, with both competing in the 1600 meters, the 3200 meters and the 4x800 relay. Yates will also compete in the 800 meters.

In just their first year of competing in the events, Dylan Preator and Abraham are qualified in both the 110 and 300 meter hurdles.

Brody Karhu broke the school record in the pole vault this season, clearing a height of 15 feet, 1 inch. At regionals, he battled another vaulter who cleared 15 feet in Mountain View’s Connor Micheli; Micheli finished first, setting up another showdown between the two in Casper.

“All of our pole vaulters have a good chance at placing,” Smith said. “Kaelan [Groves] is in that group, along with Brody [Karhu] and Reece Hackenberg and Reed Smith. That’s going to be a fun one.”

In other field events, Preator and Dalton Woodward are both favorites to make the podium in the triple jump; Preator was fifth in the event last year, Woodward seventh.

In throws, Ryan Good and Zeke Frankenberry are also in position for strong showings.

“Zeke [Frankenberry] did a great job last week, and I hope he keeps improving,” Smith said. “And of course Ryan [Good] is sitting pretty well, having prequalified in both shot and discus. If he goes out and has a couple of good days, he could really set some things on fire.”

2019 PHS Track and Field State Qualifiers

Panthers

Kaelan Groves—100M, 200M, 4x400 Relay, Pole Vault

Brody Karhu—200M, 400M, 4x400 Relay, Pole Vault

Aidan Jacobsen—400M, 800M, 4x400, 4x800

Jay Cox—400M, 800M, 4x400, 1600 Sprint Medley

Colby Warner—High Jump

Cole Frank—High Jump

Jayden Yates—800M, 1600M, 3200M, 4x800

Alan Merritt—1600M, 3200M, 4x800 Relay

Joey Hernandez—3200M

Dylan Preator—110 Hurdles, 300 Hurdles, 4x400 Relay, Triple Jump

Kadden Abraham—110 Hurdles, 300 Hurdles, 4x100 Relay

Riley Bennett—4x100 Relay

Landon Lengfelder—4x100 Relay, 1600 Sprint Medley

Ethan Bartholomew—4x800 Relay

Reed Smith—Pole Vault, 1600 Sprint Medley

Reece Hackenberg—Pole Vault

Dalton Woodward—Triple Jump

Zeke Frankenberry—Discus, Shot Put

Ryan Good—Discus, Shot Put

Dylan Cordes—1600 Sprint Medley

Lady Panthers

Jenna Hillman—100M, 200M, 400M, 4x400 Relay

Emma Karhu—200M, 300 Hurdles, 4x100 Relay, Pole Vault

Sabrina Shoopman—400M, 110 Hurdles, 300 Hurdles, 4x400 Relay

Caitlyn Miner—110 Hurdles, 4x100 Relay, 4x400 Relay

Jayden Asher—4x100 Relay

Jaz Haney—4x100 Relay

Abigail Urbach—4x400 Relay

Sidney O’Brien—4x800 Relay

Hailee Paul—4x800 Relay

Elizabeth Liggett—4x800 Relay

Hailee Hyde—4x800 Relay, High Jump

Gabri Lundberg—High Jump

Maddie Hackenberg—Pole Vault, Long Jump

Cassidy Miner—Discus, Shot Put

Rachel Bonander—Discus, Shot Put

Jenna Merritt — 4x800 Relay

Sheldon Shoopman and Jozi Simpson are helping manage the team at state.